Dandelions
by chimongra
Summary: Ezra is forced to live on his own at the age of seven. Living through such an event is not as simple and easy as he makes it look... But of course, he's Ezra. His way of mourning isn't exactly normal. Don't get him wrong, it's nothing dramatic... it's exactly what you would expect from a snarky, rebellious character like Ezra Bridger. One-shot.


**This is just a one-shot, suggested and planned out in part by my little brother while we were walking to school. Yes, it's a bit dumb and a bit childish, but both he and I liked it for just a little story-type thing. And oh my GOSH is it long...**

**For all my 'Deadly Intrigue' readers, I am working on it as much as I can, but right now my main priority is pulling off our school play. Our drama teacher kinda sucked the whole year and we _just now_ got a replacement, so that's gonna be a doozie... so unless something miraculous happens, I'm probably not going to be updating until after May 8th. Until then, enjoy my odd story revolving around the most annoying weeds ever... dandelions!**

**Disclaimer: Do you see Rebels releasing episodes focused solely on weeds? No? Then is it possible I own it? No.**

* * *

Ezra looked at the small fenced-in area below him. Even though it had only been a year, the grass was overgrown, though that was just about all he could see from his perch on a nearby roof.

Ezra hesitated.

_Should I go down there__?_ He didn't think he'd be able to stand it. But at the same time... there was a- a sense of _yearning_ as he stared at the back garden of his abandoned home.

After a pause of indecision, Ezra dropped from his roost. It only took him a moment to traverse from the ground to the edge of the fence surrounding the yard. Ezra swallowed, his face briefly showing nothing but pain and sorrow before he pushed back on his mask of careful indifference. He was rather good at wearing that face; he'd had just about a year to perfect it.

But there was no one here to see it. The only reason he was still wearing it was because, for all intents and purposes, the mask was as much for his own benefit as for others. It let him bury his emotions, let him ignore them. Pretend they never existed.

He dropped down into the yard. The grass was wild and untamed where it had been left on its own to grow for the past year, but it was also browning in the areas where weeds had taken over and where the rain didn't reach.

Ezra stayed down in a crouched position for a second, then straightened and looked towards the wall of the house itself. There was yellow tape and warnings covering the doors, windows and walls, warning that the house was off-limits and an area forbidden to citizens. Some of the posters were already peeling off, and the graffiti was fading just slightly.

Ezra started walking slowly toward the door, which was shut, barring the rest of the house from the stone porch and the yard.

Ezra's foot hit something, and he had already bounded halfway back to the fence, adrenaline pumping, before he realized what the offending object had been.

A small toy model of a ship, the exact type he didn't remember. It had been painted various shades of orange and blue for him by his father.

"_Remember Ezra, pick up your toys when you're done with them._"

Ezra stared at the toy, his mother's words echoing through his ears. He hadn't picked the model up in the excitement of his seventh birthday; he had promised his mother he'd pick everything up in the morning-

_I shouldn't have come here. This was a stupid idea._

He was already perched on the edge of the fence before he stopped himself, again. His mask was slipping. The memories and emotions were washing through.

Ezra's eyes were narrowed with burden, as the sheer feeling of _loss_ threatened to overwhelm him. Slowly, Ezra turned his gaze back to the garden behind him.

There was an assortment of potted plants on the porch, some near the door on the ground, some on the shelves his father had bought or made. The pots were random, the shelves were random, and at one point, there had been such a variety of flowers that Ezra had wondered how his mother had managed to take care of them all at once.

Those plants and flowers had been Mira's pride and joy, and she had never once had one die on her. She always let Ezra watch her, and had even offered to teach him how to take care of them. But Ezra had always been content to just watching his mother putter around, watering them, pruning them, pulling the weeds out, and once she was satisfied that they had grown enough, she would re-plant them in the soil surrounding the porch.

At one time, there had been so many flowers surrounding the porch and scattered throughout the lawn that the entire yard had smelled of nothing more than pollen and flower and sweetness-

But now there was nothing but weeds. The delicate pots had been upturned and smashed, their soil and contents spilled out, by stormtrooper or nature he didn't know. The metal shelves had been knocked over, they were almost completely rusted. The only indication of the amount of care his parents had given this yard was the little painted toy he had walked into.

No- there, there was a little white flower-

Ezra sprang off of the fence, crossing the yard in a heartbeat and he reached the flower in even less time. His mask must have fallen completely off, because just for a moment he was filled with such hope and longing that his heart ached- but it hardened once more when he saw what the flower was.

It wasn't even a flower at all- it was a weed. A dandelion, one of the most annoying variety of plant accidentally imported from Alderaan decades ago.

"_These little suckers you have to pay attention to. If you're not careful, they'll scatter their seeds everywhere, and you'll have even more of them sucking away the nutrients you need to keep the flowers you _do_ want healthy._"

Ezra stared at the dandelion. It was growing in a mound of soil spilling out of an upturned pot, its' thin green stem buried in the very dirt that Mira had doted hours of her precious life on, greedily taking in what Ezra could never once again see or love-

Ezra kicked it.

White seeds went everywhere, some even stuck onto his foot, but Ezra didn't care.

He bounded back up to the fence, and this time didn't stop before he crossed it. He was up and over the boundary as his mask of indifference settled once more.

_Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid._

Ezra honestly didn't know whether he was thinking about the dandelion or himself.

* * *

The next time it had happened, he was nine.

Running had become for of a hobby for Ezra. He certainly did it enough. Whether he was being chased, chasing, traveling, or catching up to a target, Ezra was running every day.

So it didn't really surprise him to be once again running, trying to find a safe place to escape from the Duros stall-vendor he'd managed to offend. He still had to perfect distracting his targets before 'borrowing' some of their supplies.

"Get back here!" The alien shouted, his significantly longer and stronger legs moving him over open terrain much more faster than Ezra's could.

Luckily for him, this wasn't open ground. Weaving in and out of corners and alleys, the most probable reason why he hadn't yet been caught was because his nimble legs were giving him more maneuverability that the Duros's.

Still, though. The vendor was refusing to give up, and Ezra was quickly realizing that he wasn't going to be able to outrun the man-he was going to have to hide somewhere until the Duros gave up the chase.

As such, when Ezra suddenly found himself being presented with an opportunity in the form of a fenced yard after rounding a corner, he took it gladly.

Leaping up and over the fence, Ezra was completely hidden behind the fence before the Duros had rounded the same corner. The alien thundered past, thinking Ezra had continued down the alley, and his footsteps slowly faded away into silence.

Ezra sighed deeply, calming his frantic heart beat and breathing as he leaned against the fence.

He froze.

The toy ship was lying at his feet.

Peeling his eyes away from the model, Ezra confirmed that _yes_, he _had_ just happened to jump in his old home's yard. Out of all the other hidey-holes he could've gone through. Of course.

The lawn was almost completely overgrown, the grass and other assorted plants ranging in height from his ankle to just below his knees along the edges of the fence.

There were dandelions everywhere.

Scattered throughout the grass and other weeds, they were little white lonely orbs scattered through a forest of green.

Ezra stood up slowly, still quiet and listening in case the Duros came back, but also focusing on the overgrowth in front of him.

It'd been just a year since his first visit, and two since his parents had been taken away. With no one to take care of it, the garden had gone wild; Ezra couldn't even see the broken flower pots from his position, the weeds were so thick. Vines had grown up the walls and around certain areas of the fencing. Even the little toy hadn't been spared from time and nature; the orange and blue paint had all but washed away, and the metal underneath it was rusted.

Ezra stared at it, his mask still set firmly in place. Silence reigned supreme for over a minute as Ezra stayed in his position, not moving except to breath. Then, he sighed softly.

Picking himself off the ground and out of his sitting position, Ezra dusted off his pants as his gaze once again swept over the yard.

_These dandelions shouldn't stay here._

He really didn't care for being a gardener, especially of his own abandoned home. The overgrowth just signified and reminded him his past life was gone, that his parents were gone, that he could only count on _himself_ to take care of himself. Clearing the vines, cutting the weeds... that would only be a cruel joke, giving the illusion that there was still someone in the house to take care of it. That there was still someone to care. There was no one to do that. His parents were dead. The weeds and abysmal state of the yard showed that very clearly, and it would stay that way, as a reminder, so Ezra would never forget and surrender to wishful thinking.

He had no qualms whatsoever with leaving the yard and weeds to do as they wished. None at all.

...but the dandelions shouldn't stay.

Ezra shook his head. "There are hundreds of other things I could be doing- _should_ be doing - and I'm gonna pick some flowers." No matter what he told himself though, Ezra knew he wasn't going to be able to go anywhere without clearing the yard of dandelions.

There were enough of them to keep him busy for almost an entire hour, by which time the sun of Lothal had already begun to set.

Ezra didn't really care about scattering the seeds. They could float down and replant wherever they wanted; it wasn't like Ezra would be doing this again. He simply plucked the weeds, threw them over the fence, and when all was done, he left the yard without looking back.

That place wasn't his home anymore. He wouldn't be coming back to it.

* * *

As it turned out, he would.

It was Empire Day, his tenth birthday, and the streets were full and loud far behind him. Ezra, though, was quiet, and alone. On top of a fence. Looking down at the abandoned yard below him.

The dandelions had grown back.

A firework burst in the sky above him, weak, pitiful, and sorely lacking in color. The masses cheered anyway. The stormtroopers wouldn't have them do anything else. Ezra's emotionless mask was back in place; it hadn't slipped off for months now.

But today was special. In a horrible, twisted, sardonic way. But it was still special.

Ezra hopped down from the fence, walked past the completely rusted toy, and crouched down in front of a dandelion. In the gloom he couldn't make out much of it except for the seeds, which contrasted from the dark ground in such a way that it looked almost as though it was glowing. Another pathetic firework went off behind him.

"I really shouldn't be here today," Ezra spoke to himself, still gazing at the dandelion. "It's just letting my feelings get the best of me." Ezra smiled lightly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll get myself killed if I do that."

Ezra started weeding the dandelions again.

* * *

From then on, every Empire Day Ezra would once again travel back to his parent's house, weed the dandelions, and leave. He would never touch anything else, and he would never go inside the actual building. But he never failed to show up. No matter what his intentions or plans, Ezra always went back to the house. He just couldn't _not_ go there.

The only thing Ezra ever did was pick the dandelions.

But everything had changed when he'd tried to steal a batch of blasters from Kanan and the _Ghost_ crew.

* * *

"With what we've got planned for today's parade, they'll be after us again tomorrow."

"Well, you're gonna have to do it without me."

Kanan turned to face him, eyebrow raised. "Where do you think you're going?" Ezra didn't really know how to answer that, so he simply said: "I just need to be alone. Today's... brought back some memories." He walked out of the bar, before Kanan or the others could question him further.

It was true, today _had_ brought back memories. Every Empire Day did. But mainly, Ezra wanted some time to mull things over in peace.

_Why is the Empire looking for Tseebo? He didn't do _anything_. Not for me, not for my parents, not for anyone else. Ha, maybe they want to recruit him for something just because he hasn't done anything for anyone and they figure he'd be a great asset..._ Ezra sighed, knowing what Kanan would say to him about indulging in his 'Dark thoughts'.

Ezra was on the fence again. The yard was still overgrown. The graffiti was still fading. The warnings were still peeling. Ezra wasn't at all surprised he'd ended up back here. The dandelions were back, after all.

* * *

_One year later..._

"Where do you think he's going?" Sabine asked, watching the trail of flattened grass stalks grow longer as Ezra zoomed away on his speeder.

Kanan bit the inside of his cheek, also watching the teen drove away. "I'm not sure. But I have a feeling its got something to do with his past."

Sabine sighed, then turned away from the open ramp. "Well, we shouldn't mess around with it then. But, when he comes back, tell him we're all waiting for him in the commons. Hera's done another one of her birthday gigs- and she's pretty determined to go through with it, since Zeb flat out rejected his." Kanan hummed in acknowledgement; his eyes were till following the little speck on the horizon that was his Padawan.

XXXXXXX

Ezra would have though, after nine years had passed, and by his sixteenth birthday, that he would have stopped feeling the pangs of mourning every Empire Day brought up, especially with his Jedi training. But yet again, here he was, plucking the dandelions out of the overgrown yard.

It was a little harder than usual, since the only source of light he had was the moon and the stars; the meager lights of the scattered lamp-posts didn't reach the yard. Ezra briefly considered drawing and igniting his lightsaber to illuminate the garden, but decided against it. This was his little... ritual-ish thing, and he didn't want it to be changed by anyone or anything.

Though it seemed it was going to be.

"You don't have to worry about me, Kanan." Ezra spoke just loud enough so that the Jedi could hear from his position in the shadows behind the yard.

"It's kinda my job to worry." Kanan climbed the fence and sat on it, balanced, looking at him. Ezra threw him one of his raised-eyebrow-of-sarcasm looks.

"I thought your _job_ was to teach me how to be a Jedi?" Kanan shrugged. "Same thing, really." His head cocked slightly, looking at Ezra, still not jumping down from the fence. His voice lowered and slowed, as though he wasn't quite sure he actually wanted to talk about whatever he was thinking about. "Are you... weeding?"

"No." Ezra turned his gaze to the dandelions in his hands. "Well- sort of."

"You don't have to tell me anything if you're not ready- but I _will_ listen to you when you are." Ezra looked back up at Kanan, still sitting on the edge of the fence, a respectful distance away. Ezra couldn't fully see his face, but he knew the older man was looking at him.

"It's not dramatic or anything like that. Actually, it's really kinda stupid." Kanan cocked his head slightly.

"It's not stupid, or you wouldn't be doing it." Ezra laughed softly.

"I'm not so sure about _that_. I do stupid stuff all the time."

"Not when it really matters, you don't." Ezra looked back down at the dandelions.

"Then I'm pretty sure this doesn't really matter. It's just some dandelions." Kanan stayed silent, probably just hoping Ezra would continue explaining. Ezra couldn't really blame him. He was usually so stingy about his past, never letting a single detail about it escape. Having such a rare opportunity as this one, Kanan probably wouldn't interrupt for anything. He didn't have to, though. It was just some stupid dandelions.

"I- I never touch the rest of the yard, I just..." He gestured to the dandelions in his hand, "...pick these out of everything else." Once again, Kanan was hesitant to answer.

"Any particular reason?" Ezra stared at the weeds. A second passed, and a light breath of wind tousled his hair and waved the dandelions. "...No. I've... picked these up every year, just because... I don't know. I just haven't been able to _not_ pick them, since I was ten. Don't get me wrong," Ezra sped up his speech, trying to get this particular point across, "it's not anything sentimental, and it's not the Force. I just..."

"Feel like it should be done?" Ezra hesitated, then nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I guess. You- um, you can go back to the _Ghost_. I'll be there in a couple minutes, and I won't get into any trouble."

"_That_ I seriously doubt." Ezra smiled at Kanan's comment. "But, just-" Kanan inhaled deeply, "If you need someone to talk to, you've got a whole ship full of crew-mates who're willing to listen. And if you need to just be alone for a while to sort out some stuff on your own, we'll all let you. Okay?" Ezra's smile was crooked, but gratitude shown through as he nodded to Kanan. It was almost funny how hesitant his usually brash Master was acting.

The _Ghost_ crew would help him out with anything, that was how they all worked. At the same time, they would give him space if he needed space. Ezra knew that. Kanan telling him so still made him happy.

But there really wasn't anything wrong.

"You guys worry way too much. But the gesture is appreciated." Kanan nodded, probably wearing a smile Ezra couldn't see and then swung himself off the fence and started walking back towards the ship.

Ezra got back to weeding the dandelions, content with the knowledge that he had a ship full of loving people waiting for him whenever he finished.

* * *

The next time it happened, Ezra was seventeen.

He didn't hop over the fence like he always did, though. Instead, he walked through the front door, aware of the rest of the team behind him. The front door stuck a little, just like the last time they had gone into the old house, but everyone got through just fine.

"How long d'you think they'll keep looking for us?" Ezra asked, looking in-between the cracks of the boarded up windows. He could see no one, which was refreshing, having just previously been chased madly through the streets of the city, not unlike game being hunted by Loth-wolves.

"They'll always be chasing us, dummy. Committing high treason and 'heinous rebellious acts' will kinda do that for you," Sabine supplied, shaking her head in good nature. Ezra glared playfully at her. "You know what I mean!"

Hera and Kanan also looked out of the windows, Hera's green skin muted slightly by the dim lighting. "Well, they'll keep a lock-down on the city until they've got us, we've escaped, or the lack of outside business hurts the economy inside so much they _have_ to release lock-down." The Twi'lek turned back to face the group while Kanan stayed as look-out.

"It'll take anywhere from one week to three for _that_ to happen, so until then the city'll be locked up tight. You're positive they won't check here for us?" Hera asked, her emerald eyes latching directly onto Ezra's. He nodded.

"They erased any and all files on my parents, including where they lived. Even Agent Kallus, with all of his computer archives, wouldn't know this used to be my home. It's just another abandoned building to the bucket-heads. And by the time they start manually searching every hiding place they think we'll be in-"

"We'll be long gone," Sabine finished, nodding as she took off her helmet. "If that Lasat's any good, he'll get the signal and know to come pick us up before the bucket-heads get any smarter." Kanan turned back to the group and asked:

"How long do you think it'll take him to get the _Phantom_ and collect us?" Hera grimaced slightly, making the eyebrows of Ezra, Sabine and Kanan rise collectively.

"Well, about that. Knowing how... _inclined_ we all are to sleeping, I re-routed our comm distress beacons to go directly to Chopper, since he's better than anyone when it comes to waking us up." Ezra nodded, knowing all too well how devious the little astromech could get.

"Buuut?" Kanan prompted, and Hera sighed.

"I told him to take the day off and re-charge. There wasn't supposed to be any trouble today, since this was just supposed to be a little market trip."

"Ah." Kanan nodded slowly while Here continued on.

"And since the Imperials jammed any and all comm frequencies from the city, that one emergency beacon is all we're gonna be able to send out. Chopper's our only communication device, and he won't be active until- Noon? Daybreak? Midnight? I'm not sure exactly when, but sometime tomorrow. Or late tonight. My point is, we're going to be staying here for a bit." Her eyes briefly flickered over to Ezra, gauging if he was disturbed at all by the though of sleeping in the house of his first family, but the teen had long since passed the point of emotions getting in the way of missions.

"Alright, then." Kanan sighed, walking over to Ezra. "Since we're gonna be staying here for a bit, let me see your arm." Ezra made a face at him.

"I _told_ you, it's _fine_, it was just-"

"Just what? Just shot at?" Sabine shook her head, smiling crookedly. "Mr. Macho Tough-Guy, you being all macho and tough doesn't really work on any of us, haven't you figured that out already?" Ezra pursed his lips slightly in denial.

"I am not Mr. Macho Tough-Guy-"

"-and you're not getting out of my sight until that arm is clean and bound," Kanan interrupted, picking one of the best no-nonsense glares he had learned from Hera and using it to good effect. Ezra pouted, but held out his left arm for his Master and Twi'lek companion to fuss about with. It was almost funny how quickly they both moved towards it as soon as it was proffered to them.

"That's better. Sabine, will you look for some bacta patches?" Hera asked, her concentration mixing with Kanan's as she examined his upper arm. The Mando nodded and headed in the direction of the hallway.

"They're in the container across the second room on the right," Ezra called out to her, ignoring the gentle fingers probing his arm.

"I see 'em," Sabine responded, and she came back into the sitting room with a few bacta patches and an ancient looking cloth bandage in her hands. Hera held out a hand to Sabine without taking her eyes off of Ezra's arm, and after taking the gauze Sabine offered murmured a light 'thank you.'

"Kanan, will you help Sabine outfit the bunker fro sleeping? I got this." The Jedi sighed, nodded, and went to help Sabine remove the furniture that concealed the tunnel to Mira and Ephraim's broadcasting room.

"In order to avoid any scanners the Imperials might be smart enough to use." Ezra nodded, looking at Hera's deft and nimble fingers wrapping the cloth bandage around what had been a nasty looking charred area of skin on his upper left arm. Her movements slowed for just a second.

"Are you sure you're okay with being here?" Ezra smiled sadly at her, only a few inches shorter than the Twi'lek.

"This is just an old building, Hera. Kanan's taught me enough about sentimental attachment to make me understand that this place is meaningless without their occupants." Hera looked at him for a moment, having finished her bandaging, then smiled softly and drew him into a hug. They both held it for a few seconds before Sabine popped out of the hatch.

"Well, we found some blankets and managed to make a couple of bunks. It'll be cozy, but we'll all fit." She cocked her head and smiled mischievously.

"Especially if you and Kanan sleep together." A lot of spluttering floated up from the hole, and Hera's face turned an interesting shade of red mixed with her usual green.

XXXXXXX

They took turns staying awake in case Zeb and the _Phantom_ arrived in the night. They would need to be prepared to make a quick getaway, so one person stayed awake in one hour shifts while the rest of the little group slept.

Watching and listening for a large-ish ship wasn't exactly a difficult task, and so it didn't really surprise Ezra to find himself in the backyard once again, without anything else to occupy his mind with during the time. He could have meditated, but that would have made counting the passage of time until the next shift difficult. So instead, Ezra was once again weeding out the dandelions.

It wasn't even Empire Day, but he was still crouching among the weeds, listening and aware for the rumble of a ship, but also focused on cleansing the garden from all of the white weeds. His words to Hera had beed true, though, it wasn't because of sentimental value.

Well, maybe he was, he didn't actually have a concrete reason for why he was doing it. But it wasn't because he was hoping for his previous life to return to him or anything like that, for _sure_. He wouldn't be able to live any other way than the life style he lead onboard the _Ghost_. Partly because of the overall lifestyle they all led together, and partly because Kanan was standing in the shadowy doorway, watching him.

"It's not your shift yet, Kanan." Even with his back turned to the older man, Ezra knew Kanan had shrugged. "Just thought I'd come and see what you're up to."

"Well, it's not gonna get more exciting than this, so you wouldn't miss much if you went back to sleep." Ezra continued his weeding, methodically pulling flower after flower out of the soil. Kanan silently watched for a few seconds before asking: "Is this... something you want- or, _need_, to... to do by yourself?"

Ezra turned to face Kanan, slightly surprised. "Whatever gave you that idea?" Kanan shrugged.

"You've come here every Empire Day since you met us, and I assume every year since you were seven. You don't do anything unless you have a reason- _most_ of the time -and generally you're so secretive about things it's painfully obvious you want to be alone for a while. I'm just wondering if this is another one of those things."

Ezra smiled just a little bit. "Always jumping to conclusions, Master. No, this isn't- this isn't really a-a _private_ issue. And, I was only doing this regularly since I was ten." Kanan 'hm'd'.

"And what exactly _are_ you doing?"

"To be honest?... Picking out weeds. Not all of them- just the dandelions." He snorted slightly. "I can't answer you _why_ I do it, I just..." Kanan hesitated before asking: "Might I make a suggestion as to why?"

Ezra laughed, as loud as he dared with possible Imperial agents patrolling about. "You don't have to treat me like I'm fragile, Kanan!" His mirth kept the corners of his mouth high even as he moved on to the next, more sober topic of conversation. It was just _weird_ talking to a timid Kanan.

"Theorize away, I'm long past those days when words'd make me throw a temper tantrum." Kanan laughed a bit as well as Ezra continued his task of weeding the dandelions.

"I don't know how true _that_ statement is, Mr. Macho Tough-Guy, but sure." Ezra threw him a playful glare as Kanan bowed his head to gather his thoughts.

"When your parents were taken, you didn't want to let go of the memories and lifestyle they had given you. You didn't fully weed the yard because the rational part of you knew that pining away for a life you could never have again would only lead to ruin, but there was still that part of you that couldn't fully let it go. Your... mother?... was a gardener, am I right?" Ezra nodded, and Kanan continued, "And so you latched onto that, subconsciously, and because of that couldn't stand the sight of the dandelions- one of the most invasive weeds on Lothal. So your subconscious became conscious and weeded them. It was the only sign of your missing them you allowed yourself to show." Ezra had stopped weeding a while ago as Kanan continued on. There was a blank look on his face, though he wasn't looking at anything in the yard.

"Or I could be completely wrong and it's something much less mushy than that," Kanan said, chuckling lightly as he shrugged. Ezra looked up at him, a light frown creasing his brow.

"No, I think you're probably right." Kanan cocked his head at Ezra's statement.

"What, no teenage 'no one can understand me' outburst? No vehement denial over anything I say? Who are you and what have you done with my Padawan?" Ezra could _hear_ the smile on his face, even if Kanan was partially hidden in the shadows.

"Nothing- but sometimes your teachings _do_ manage to sink in a bit."

"Oh, that's a relief to hear. I can't really tell."

"Ka_nan_,"

"Sorry." There were a beat of silence until Ezra remembered a previous part of the conversation, whereupon he said: "...So..."Kanan tilted his head, waiting for Ezra to finish. "You asked me if this was something I needed to do alone. It's not. So..? Was before an offer to join me or...?" Kanan started, he looked like he wasn't really expecting to have to answer that question.

"Honestly, that was just a conversation starter, I thought this was going to be something personal- well, it _is_, but it's not the kind of personal I was thinking it would be, and I didn't think you'd actually _want_ anyone to help you out with this-"

Ezra turned a skeptically raised eyebrow towards Kanan, fully aware that the older man could see _his_ face. "Timid and hesitant is _not_ a good look for you, Master." Kanan huffed, but Ezra continued. "This... this is nothing." Ezra spoke, his decision and conviction shining in his eyes. "If your Jedi teachings have taught me anything, it's that I can't place sentimental value on anything but my friends and family. If you wanted to weed the garden with me, the only difference it would make is it'd be done faster. It's not... it's not important." Ezra was staring at the dandelions in his hand. They really were stupid.

"Yes, it is." Ezra looked up, seeing Kanan move out of the shadows and out into the yard with him. Ezra probed the man's face as Kanan crouched down next to him- and pulled out a dandelion.

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have invited me to join you."

Ezra smiled slightly, nothing more than a little quirk of his lips, and shook his head... But he didn't push Kanan away. He was grateful to his Master- for everything.

XXXXXXX

"Up up up! Zeb's coming and there's not much time before the buckets send reinforcements!" Sabine shouted, waking Ezra, Kanan and Hera from their slumber in the broadcasting room. In a flash, the three of them were up, not bothering to pack up their cots or blankets, since they weren't theirs. Zeb wouldn't have a lot of time to pick them up before they were forced to leave due to Imperial presence.

"Took him long enough!" Ezra exclaimed, rushing up the ladder just below Hera. The four of them bolted through the front door, quickly hoisting themselves into the open ramp of the still descending _Phantom_, hovering just above the streets.

"Come on! The Imps're already comin'!"Zeb shouted from his seat in the pilot's chair. Ezra extended a hand and helped Sabine climb up the ramp as Zeb lurched the small ship forwards. A second later the ramp was closed, and not a moment too soon- there was a trooper carrier heading their way, no doubt containing Kallus and a dozen stormtroopers.

"Good to see you all again and all that good stuff, but Hera, you're gonna need to fly this one!" Zeb proclaimed, but the Twi'lek was already climbing up to the pilot's area, chuckled as Zeb vacated the seat quickly in order to allow Hera access to the controls.

"When have I _not_ had to fly us out?" The rest of the crew grumbled.

XXXXXXX

"Ah, home sweet home!" Ezra proclaimed, stretching his back dramatically as they entered the _Ghost_ through the _Phantom_'s docking tube. Kanan rolled his eyes and started heading towards the kitchen area, no doubt to try and grab some food before the rest of them raided it. Hera followed close behind him, calling out as she did so:

"Just make sure it _stays_ sweet!" Ezra acted hurt, throwing a look of mock shock onto his face. Turning to Zeb and Sabine, he pouted just slightly. "Aren't I already as sweet as the ship?!"

"No." Came the answer from both of them. Ezra gasped, threw his hand up to his heart, and recoiled, plastering a look of fake hurt on his face. "Ah! Such harsh betrayal! The ones you love do indeed hurt you the most!" Zeb rolled his eyes and strolled past, bumping Ezra's shoulder lightly as he did so. "Whatever, kid."

Ezra flopped his head onto his right shoulder, stuck out his tongue, and made a dramatic gagging sound as he rolled his eyes upwards. Sabine shook her head at his antics, moving up to follow Zeb out of the _Phantom_'s docking bay, though she stopped just in front of Ezra.

"Oh, um... I found something when I was on shift-duty." Ezra halted his fake death scenario and looked at Sabine in curiosity. The Mando was looking down at her wrist-computer, tapping at the few buttons and obviously trying to pull up a holo. "What kind of something?" Ezra asked, staring with interest at Sabine's hands and face.

"Nothing bad, promise, but..." Sabine looked up at Ezra, smiling slightly. "I couldn't help but overhear your late-night conversation with Kanan." Ezra raised an eyebrow, not at all offended. It wasn't really a big deal, after all. Though he was curious. "What were you doing up at that time of night?" She grinned at him.

"I woke up when Kanan left the bunker, and I was curious, because my shift was the next one, so he had no reason to be moving out of there. So, I followed him out, and I heard you two talking. I didn't want to interrupt, since it was _obviously_ something important, but from what I listened in on, I knew that this-" she pulled up a blue holographic image "-was going to mean a lot to you."

It was a flower.

Though the color was distorted slightly through the blue filter, Ezra could make out that it was a small, purple bloom, its petals as big as his fingernails, the whole thing barely as big as a child's palm. It was pressed and tangled in the other blades of grass and weeds, lying low to the ground, but still alive.

For a moment, Ezra just stared at it, until he remembered where he was.

"This... this was in the yard?" He asked, still looking at the image in front of him. Sabine nodded, the hologram bobbing slightly as she did so. "The only reason I saw it was because I'm used to picking out colors," Sabine explained. Ezra smiled slightly before lowering his gaze. The open mirth from earlier was gone, replaced instead by a quiet sort of contentment.

"Sabine... do you think you could download this into the ship?" Ezra spoke softly, and Sabine nodded again. The holo faded into nothingness. Ezra smiled up brightly at her. "Thanks, Sabine. Now: let's make sure we get our fair share of food!" Ezra bolted down the hall, Sabine following after a split second.

"I call dibs on the 'fresher!" The Mando called out, her voice echoing out through the _Ghost_'s metal halls, until Hera's own voice answered her:

"Too late, Sabine!" Ezra laughed at the pout his friend made, happier than he'd been in a while.

* * *

The very last time Ezra returned to his old home was the third trip he made there after Sabine had showed him the holo of the flower.

The first, of course, was very brief. An odd thing for sure, since his trips usually took an hour at the very least. This one, though, was short. Barely even five minutes. After all, there weren't any dandelions for him to weed out.

Eighteen year old Ezra was a little off-balanced when he found nothing but green below him after hopping the fence. At first, he'd though it was just him not seeing any of the weeds due to the lack of proper lighting; fireworks didn't provide the best light source this Empire Day, not any of the others. But Ezra had hopped down, straining his eyes for any sign of the white weeds, just to find that there really weren't any.

Ezra had hesitated then, unsure of exactly what he should do, until he remembered the holo.

Picking his way through the weeds, Ezra made his way over to the corner of the porch. The various broken pots had been eroded over time, turning their sharp, jagged tears into smooth edges. Well, the ones he could see, anyways. The rest were hidden by the overgrowth.

It took Ezra a minute to find it, and the only reason he did indeed find it was because he was looking for it, but it was still there. The little purple flower was half-covered by the towering grasses around it, but with a little persuasion, Ezra was able to untangle it.

The bloom really was small, but so was the entire flower. In its entirety, the whole plant barely even stood taller than Ezra's ankle, the small, thin stem barely supporting the purple bloom on top.

Now, Ezra wasn't exactly a plant expert, but he knew enough botany to deduce that this plant, whatever it was, wasn't native to Lothal. At least not this region. The shape of the petals and the general make-up of the entire thing suggested it took in a lot of water to grow, and while rain wasn't completely absent from the region, it was still sparse enough that the little bud at Ezra's feet shouldn't have been able to grow into what it had.

Ezra looked up, and sure enough, the bloom was directly underneath the corners of the porch's overhang, where Ephraim had cleverly rigged the gutters above to collect the rare rain-water they did get an allow it to drip down into a collecting pail Mira would set out, in order to further use the water. Without her there to place the bucket, the sparse water had all dribbled out over the place where the little bloom was, providing it with the necessary water it needed to survive.

_But shouldn't the weeds have sucked it all away?_

Briefly, Ezra considered how the plant might have been able to live without the other competitors and weeds having siphoned away the precious water the bloom so desperately needed. When he came to the obvious conclusion, Ezra grinned, just ever so slightly.

Of course it had survived. Ezra had been getting rid of its main competitors for years now.

The grasses of Lothal were tough and course, having evolved to just survive on the little rain available to them. They wouldn't cause much of a problem for the water supply, in fact the only things that would were the dandelions-

Which Ezra had been steadily weeding for years.

"Well now, little guy, looks like you're the fruit of my labor, huh?" Ezra said, smiling and tilting his head to allow the meager light to illuminate the bloom further. He inhaled deeply, taking in the sights and smells. He touched a single petal gingerly, watching as the smooth material folded, not unlike some Alderaanian or Nabooian velvet he had occasionally saw in the markets.

"Good luck, little bud," Ezra half-whispered, and then he was gone.

* * *

"Hey, um, hate to interrupt, but you guys could drop me off, just saying."

Hera and Zeb, who had been previously arguing over whether or not to fight the Imperials swarming the _Phantom_ or to just fly away, looked incredulously at Ezra. He smiled sheepishly before hastily re-correcting his balance as Hera made a dangerous swerve around a tower.

"Drop you off!? We're in the middle of Central, surrounded by Imperials, and you want to be dropped off!?" Hera all but shouted, and the _Phantom_ rocked as a charge exploded to their right. Ezra opened his mouth, prepared to respond, but Kanan beat him to it from his seat behind Ezra.

"Actually, I'd go with him." Zeb and Hera both looked back, eyebrows raised, as Ezra nodded. Kanan elaborated quickly as they nearly crashed into a building.

"With both me and Ezra down on the ground, we can split the Empire's attention, with half of their forces on you, but also half on _us_. It'd give you an easier fight and flight back to the _Ghost_, where Sabine can help you pick off any remaining bucket-heads from the on-board turret. Even if she's got a head-cold, she's still an ace-shooter." Kanan ended in a grin.

"Who said there'd be any Imps left over?" Zeb grumbled, though his comment went largely unnoticed. Hera nodded, her focus back on maneuvering the _Phantom_. Both Kanan and Ezra rose from their seats and walked the few unsteady steps to the back.

"We'll be picking you up on the outskirts of the city, near TarkinTown. No later than midnight boys, you hear me?!" Ezra chuckled as the pressured door opened at the touch of a button, and air whooshed in as Hera continued their current speed. "Yes, _mom_, we'll be back by midnight."

"Then good luck!"

And then both he and Kanan were out, hurtling towards the ground at a break-neck pace, though maintaing perfect control. Both Master and Padawan landed in identical crouches, softening the blow any non-Force sensitive would have been killed by until it was nothing more than sudden pressure in the balls of their feet. They'd both had plenty of practice falling through the air.

"Alright, let's have some fun!" Ezra grinned as the first wave of bucket-heads came running.

XXXXXXX

It was beginning to turn dark by the time Kanan and Ezra had finally finished messing about with the Imperials. Moving stealthily through the streets and alleys, they were heading to the outskirts of town for their rendezvous with the _Ghost_.

As such, Ezra was moderately surprised when Kanan, who was directly in front of him, veered from their trajectory, turning into an alley that wouldn't in any way lead them outside. "Kanan?" Ezra didn't stop moving, knowing Kanan had moved that way on purpose, and that he hadn't changed course without a reason.

"You didn't _just_ want to be dropped off to provide a distraction. At least, that wasn't the only thing you wanted." Ezra blinked, then the rest of the pieces fell into place. He wasn't at all surprised Kanan had immediately picked up on his intentions; it was kind of a regular thing. They both knew each other inside and out.

"Oh. Thing is, I'm not sure if there'll be any dandelions there." Kanan turned his head briefly to face Ezra, surprise and interest imbedded into his facial features.

"There weren't any there the last time. I don't know why they didn't grow, but I'm thinking the same circumstances that stunted them last time might have done so again."

"But you still want to go there." Ezra smiled, though Kanan couldn't see it. He could probably feel it, though.

"Yeah. Just don't be surprised if there's nothing there." Kanan 'hm'd in response.

As it turned out, there weren't any dandelions. But there _was_ something of interest.

"Woah- it's gotten huge!" Ezra exclaimed, though he was careful to keep his voice down. The flower had grown- until what once had been a small, ankle-height stem had become as tall as Ezra's shin. It had thickened as well, in order to support the deeper, expanded petals. It looked stunning.

"Hm. And there aren't any dandelions around, just like you said," Kanan observed, sweeping his view around to check for any weeds that might have rebelliously remained.

Ezra, though, was entirely focused on the flower. Crouching in front of it, he was astonished at how much it had grown in just a few months. From the way the petals were arranged, this really _was_ a water-dependent flower- it had only survived because of Ezra's ministrations with the dandelions.

"Yeah, but just look at this! I really didn't think it'd...grow so... much..." Ezra was completely focused in the bloom. It brought a smile to Kanan's face, as he knew that this state of concentration was rare for the teen, usually only when he was in a deep state of meditation.

"And all because you wouldn't let the memory of your family go, huh?" Ezra's face smoothed a little as he pulled back from the flower slightly, nodding.

"Yeah. I guess- I guess this little guy's a symbol of family, then. Just because I couldn't let my old home go, this flower was able to grow. So, yeah, this thing... is a direct representation of my family." Ezra was smiling softly, still looking at the flower. Kanan too looked at the bloom for a second, then back at Ezra. "Family, huh?" Then, softly, Kanan asked:

"Don't you think it's in the wrong place?"

It was a bold question, one Kanan would not have dared asked five years ago. But right now, it was the best thing he could say in the situation.

Ezra was staring blankly at the flower. Then, he nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said, voice soft. "Yeah, it is." Kanan smiled even softer. He moved over and crouched next to Ezra, who turned to face him with a smile.

"Let's fix that, Kanan."

XXXXXXX

Hera had been moderately surprised when both Kanan and Ezra had shown up at the city outskirts on time. A little surprised and a little relieved, since it really _wasn't_ a good idea to stay in enemy territory without back-up for long.

However, what surprised her even more was that Ezra was holding a large, cracked plant pot with a small-ish purple flower planted in it. Hera had opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then looked hopelessly at Kanan for an answer. The Jedi smiled brightly at her, pointing at the teenage beside him as they approached the open ramp.

"We found a little souvenir and wanted to take it home. And it took us _forever_ to find a pot that wasn't completely smashed, believe me." Hera looked back at the plant, still trying to talk, and ended up just shaking her head exasperatedly.

"Just as long as you don't get my ship dirty." Ezra grinned up at her, starting to walk into the open ramp of the G_host_. "Don't worry, you've got Zeb to do that for you. This little bud isn't going to do _anything_ that _he_ hasn't already done."

"I heard that you Loth-rat!" Came Zeb's voice, echoing through the insides of the ship as he came down the ladder. Ezra responded in kind, "Good! It's about time you knew about your hair-balls!" Hera laughed as the two Spectres fell back into their usual routine of bantering. Kanan just sighed and shook his head, closing the ramp behind him as he walked back into the ship. He smiled tiredly at her.

"It came from his old home. We both didn't think it should stay there, with no family to take care of it." Hera looked shocked for a second, but then smiled wanly as she turned to look at Zeb and Ezra quarreling, the teenager holding the plant possessively to his side.

"Well, it better be used to chaos, because that's about all we're gonna be able to give it." Kanan 'hm'd and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders as they both watched Zeb and Ezra and now Sabine heatedly discussing the flower.

"I don't know about that. We've got a whole bunch of love on board as well." Hera smirked at Kanan's comment. "Since when did you get all sappy?" Kanan laughed and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"Probably whenever we decided that a flower was a symbol of family." Hera just shook her head and laid it on Kanan's own shoulder, content to watching their band of misfit 'children' playfully arguing with one another.

* * *

Throughout the next multitudes of trying years, life-changing events came and went like the wind. Of course, there was the fact that Ezra didn't visit his home at all until years and years later, but the main things that changed the course of history were much, much more important.

First off, there was the mission to steal the plans on the Empire's newest weapon, the super sized 'Death Star'. Only a few days after that narrow success, when the _Gho__st_ crew had still been nursing their injuries, there came the devastating news of Alderaan's destruction. And just a few short weeks or so after _that_, there had been the colossal battle with the space-station itself, resulting in the destruction of the Death Star and the biggest blow to the Empire the Rebellion had ever made. That battle would come to be known as the 'Battle of Yavin,' and the crew would never, in all of their lives, forget it.

Of course, after that, the pressure the Empire had put on them tripled, as the bucket-heads had been determined not only to find _them_, but also any information they could get about the rebel leaders: Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and a whole smattering of other important political figures in the Alliance. For those few years missions had gotten incredibly deadly, even in the Outer Rim, as the Empire upped their game in trying to capture or kill them. There had been several incredibly close calls.

Then, there had been the hurried search for Solo when he'd been kidnapped and carbonated, which had gone on for a few years, until a daring rescue attempt made by Skywalker and Organa not only saved Solo, but also killed Ezra's nickname's namesake, Jabba the Hutt. Ezra wasn't quite sure to be happy or sad about that; since that event, whenever Kallus had taunted him with the name, it never had the same feel.

But shortly after that had come the biggest battle of their lives over Endor, with seemingly all of the Empire's forces- including the half-finished second Death Star - fighting against them. The result of that fight had been, of course, the destruction of the Death Star, but also the best thing that had happened to the _Ghost_ crew in the entirety of their lives:

The death of the Emperor.

There were celebrations everywhere as citizens formerly under the iron rule of the Empire realized their new-found freedom and drove out the remaining Imperial forces on their home worlds. On Endor, Bespin, Naboo, Tatooine, Hoth, Geonosis, Kashyyyk, Ryloth, Kamino, Dathomir, and Lothal, where the _Ghost_ crew had returned after the battle to join the population in their celebrations, for once, instead of sabotaging them. It hadn't taken long for the citizens to drive out the bucket-heads, with the knowledge that their head had been wiped out.

For the people of Lothal, the defeat of the Empire was a liberation long in coming, and a return to how they ran their own lives. For the galaxy, it was the release of the iron-grip of tyranny and fear. For the _Ghost_ crew, it was everything.

Everything they had fought and nearly died for had finally been achieved; all their suffering and pain and hard work had finally payed off, had been realized. It hadn't all been for nothing. The deaths of their peoples and family hadn't been pointless losses. And now... now they didn't have to fight anymore. They didn't have to run and hide, they didn't have to ration out, they didn't have to worry about if they would live to see tomorrow.

Which was why, as the vivid fireworks burst out into the sky behind him, twenty-five year old Ezra Bridger was running back towards his old home, clutching at a tiny, precious item. He wasn't running away from the celebration, in fact he was planning on rejoining them as soon as he was done with his task.

Because this did need to be done.

Ezra ducked into an alley, slowing slightly to accommodate for his accumulated height and weight. He was still smaller than the average adult, but he was still bigger than he had been all those years ago. It made his travel time increase slightly, but going this route was the fasted way to get to his destination, slowed pace or not. Ezra still arrived at the fence of his old backyard in a timely fashion.

And once Ezra hopped the fence, he stopped. Panting slightly, Ezra's grip on the small object tightened as he viewed the still dandelion-free yard. He swallowed heavily after a few seconds, and when he began to talk, it was slow.

"Mom, Dad... I know, this isn't how you wanted it to happen, but... we did it. We actually did it. We beat the Empire! I mean, yeah, we still have to mop them up and make sure everything goes back in order, but... the Empire's finally gone. We- we can look for you, now, and- and we don;t have to be scared about if they're tracking us or trying to trap us... we can actually look for you guys and... and get together again.

"But... but if you guys aren't- if you -if those bucket-heads really did... kill you... I want you guys to know that it's all okay. I- well, obviously I'm still okay, but that's just because I found- well, they found _me_, actually, but I found a family that I love. I love you guys, and I loved our life before, but you don't have to worry about me anymore. The Empire's gone now, and... and I have people to take care of me." Ezra swallowed again, then opened his hands to reveal a small, pale yellow seed.

"But I'll never forget that this was my home, even if I have a new one. Never. Which is why," Ezra walked over to the corner of the porch and crouched down, making a hole in the dirt with two of his fingers, "-Kanan and I both decided-" he placed the seed in the small hole and covered it up with the dirt, "-that the 'symbol of family'," Ezra squeezed some water out of his canteen onto the planted seed, "-should be re-extended here."

Ezra stood up, smiling at the little mound of wet dirt he had just made as a purple and yellow firework burst out into the sky above him. Sabine could open up a shop with those kind of fireworks, and make more money than Kanan ever had with that amount of quality in them. He could automatically tell it was one of hers, because no other firework had ever had that much intensity or _life_ in it. That and he'd gotten rather used to the particular tones of her various explosives over the years.

"And don't worry, this flower means a _lot_ more to me than just a pointless gift. It's a symbol of out family; I think you'd like that a lot, mom. And I don't care how sappy Zeb says that sounds, it's true. I didn't let the memories of you guys go, so the- father? mother? -of this seed grew, and now this little seed is going to grow out of the new memories and the old- from _all_ of my family. Again, I don't care how sappy that sounds, it's true. It'll grow and-and stay really healthy and strong.

"...I love you, Mom and Dad. And I always have, and I always will. If you guys are... gone... just know that I'm fine, I'm safe, and the Empire's gone. And if you're alive somewhere, we're gonna find you, I swear it. Although," Ezra chuckled lightly, "if you're still alive, I must look pretty stupid, talking to an empty house. And a flower, and a flower." Ezra bowed his head, breathing in and out deeply. He closed his eyes, letting the rest of his senses take in the house and the yard. When he opened his eyes again, his eyes automatically landed on the small planted seed. Ezra smiled, very, very softly.

"I love you guys. And you'll always be part of my family. Goodbye... for now." And after just a moment more of silence, Ezra nodded, then went and leapt the fence once more. He ran and ran through the streets, free of hesitation or longing. He had finally let his parents go, content with the knowledge that he wasn't replacing them with the _Ghost_ crew, instead adding his crew to the family he had always had. His parents would always be his family, and so would his shipmates.

As Ezra drew even closer to the main streets, the roar of hundreds of citizens celebrating washed over him. It was so much more alive than whenever the stormtroopers had forced them to cheer, because this time it was with their own voices that they shouted, with their own hearts that they cried, with their own joy that they displayed.

And when Ezra rejoined Kanan and Hera and Zeb and Sabine and Chopper, when he fell once more into the fold of the celebration and his family, he couldn't have been happier.

His family was whole. Their goal had been achieved. Their lives weren't in danger. The fight was won. The Empire was gone.

And the dandelions would never come back to threaten his family.


End file.
